Bossiney
| Bossiney Cornish: Boskyny | |
| Cornwall | |
|---|---|
 The Hendra (or Pentaly) Cross | |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | SX066888 |
| Location: | 50°40’1"N, 4°44’20"W |
| Data | |
| Post town: | Tintagel |
| Postcode: | PL34 |
| Dialling code: | 01840 |
| Local Government | |
| Council: | Cornwall |
| Parliamentary constituency: |
North Cornwall |
Bossiney is a village in northern Cornwall. It is north-east of the larger village of Tintagel which it adjoins: further north-east are the Rocky Valley and Trethevy. The name of the village is the Cornish Boskyny, meaning 'Cyni's dwelling'.
Until 1832, the village, with its neighbour Trevena, was a borough which elected two members to Parliament: one of several 'Rotten Boroughs' in Cornwall.
Bossiney lies within the Cornwall Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, as does almost a third of the county.
History
Bossiney is listed in Domesday Book as Botcinnii', a manor held by the Count of Mortain from St Petroc's Church.,[1] the manor at this time including Trevena.[2]
From about 1552, Bossiney and Trevena were incorporated as the 'Borough of Tintagel', the burgesses of which elected two members to the House of Commons, until the Reform Act 1832 stripped it of its representation as a rotten borough. Bossiney was the Parliamentary seat of Francis Drake who in 1584 gave his election speech from Bossiney Mound. It was also the Parliamentary seat in 1584 of Sir Francis Bacon.[3] The mace and seal of the borough are still preserved and show the name of the borough as 'Tintaioel' (they are thought to be from the 16th century).[4]
To the east of Bossiney lie the remains of an earthen ringwork and bailey, which were discovered during archaeological excavations during the 1840s. The castle is not mentioned in surviving contemporary documents, and it is uncertain when or by whom it was built. However, it was probably built in the late 11th or 12th century.[5]
Name
Bossiney, which in Domesday Book was 'Botcinnii', has been explained as the Cornish Bod ('dwelling') and Cini a man's name. The spelling varied in the past (Bossinney was at one time very common).
John Galsworthy used 'Bosinney' for one of his characters in the Forsyte Saga.
About the village
Houses of note about he village include the Old Borough House, Bossiney Court (both houses are 17th century and later) and the Methodist chapel (1860).[6] All these are listed Grade II.
At the nearby crossroads stands Hendra Cross (towards Trevillet): it has been moved from its former position due to road widening in 1959.
Willapark on the coast nearby was an Iron Age cliff castle and at Lye Rock the barque 'Iota' was wrecked in 1893.
Willapark Manor stands in wooded grounds and is now an hotel; Jill Pool is the site of the former borough gaol.
See also
- Bossiney Haven, the nearby beach
Outside links
 |
("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Bossiney) |
References
- ↑ Cornwall A-K- The Domesday Book Online
- ↑ Thorn, C. et al., eds. (1979) Cornwall. Chichester: Phillimore
- ↑ "Bossiney and Benoath". This is North Cornwall. Kestrel Promotions. http://www.thisisnorthcornwall.com/bossiney.html. Retrieved 2010-11-23.
- ↑ Canner, A. C. (1982) The Parish of Tintagel, pp. 62-65
- ↑ Rose (1992) "Bossiney Castle", p. 141
- ↑ Bossiney&nbps;- Heritage Gateway
Rose, Peter (1992) "Bossiney Castle", Cornish Archaeology 31 pp. 138–142.
- Williams, Michael (ca. 1970) Bossiney. ([9] pp., illus.) [Tintagel: the author]